The night grew darker, and the pitch-black night sky seemed to be waiting for the dawn.

The palace gates had already been locked, and the ministers did not leave the palace until dawn the next day.

Their steps were a little unsteady. They had not slept all night, but they were not sleepy at all. They felt dazed and excited, as if they had not yet recovered from the dramatic changes in the court.

After Sheng Xing'an returned home, he gulped down several glasses of water before he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he went to the main courtyard.

It was the time for greeting in the morning, and everyone in the main courtyard had arrived except for a few people who had gone to class early.

Seeing Sheng Xingan coming in, several children quickly stood up to greet him.

Sheng Xingan was still a little excited, so he asked someone to bring him some cakes. He ate several pieces in a row before he could barely fill his stomach.

After finishing the cakes, he spoke a few words to his children. The father was loving and the children were filial, and the family was very happy.

"Master." Liu said with a smile, "Sister Rou is about to get married, should we let Sister Yan and her sisters get some makeup done?"

As cousins, they should have helped Zhao Yuanrou with her makeup, given her a hairpin or purse, etc., to give her face.

When Sheng returned home on the second day of the first lunar month, she hinted to Sheng Xiyan to help Zhao Yuanrou with her makeup.

Sheng Xingan was silent for a moment, then asked Sheng Xiyan, "What do you think?"

Sheng Xiyan didn't try to hide her feelings and made excuses, saying bluntly, "I'm not going."

She was too lazy to see Zhao Yuanrou, so she could just run into him when she went out to visit him on weekdays. Why did she have to go to Zhao Yuanrou's house specially? That would only make things difficult for herself.

As soon as she finished speaking, the third lady Sheng Xiyun said anxiously, "My daughter and second sister should go." Then, perhaps she felt that she was a little too anxious, so she added, "Father, mother, cousin Rou is marrying Prince Zhao, and it would be bad if there is no one in our house to go and make up for her."

Prince Zhao is a prince, and once cousin Rou gets married she will be a princess.

The elder sister is just a princess of a vassal state, but she still insists on showing off in front of her cousin Rou. She doesn't know who she is showing off to.

Sheng Xiyun curled her lips, not noticing at all that Sheng Xing'an had a subtle look on his face when he heard the word "King Zhao". She only thought that there would be many people who would come to make up for her cousin Rou, and maybe she could even make friends with a few noble ladies.

The eldest sister is stingy and never brings her younger sisters with her when she goes out. I don’t know if she is afraid that they will steal her limelight.

Sheng Xingan hesitated for a moment and said, "You go ahead."

Sheng Xiyun was overjoyed and couldn't hide her excitement.

Liu didn't care whether she needed to put on more makeup or not. She only cared about: "On the day of the big ceremony, do you and I want to go?"

The Sheng family is a close relative, so they should go to congratulate. However, Sheng Xingan thought about the changes in the court today and secretly felt that it would be better to stay away from King Zhao, so he shook his head and said, "I won't go. If you want to go, you can go."

Sheng Xingan didn't go, so why should I go? I'm not very familiar with the Sheng family.

Liu said directly: "Then I will not go either. I will ask someone to prepare a gift and send it over. What do you think?"

Even if the person didn't go, the gift had to come anyway. There was nothing wrong with Liu's arrangement, so Sheng Xingan nodded and said nothing more.

The servants removed the digestive tea and brought in more tea. Nanny Sun personally handed a cup to Sheng Xiyan and said, "Miss, please have some tea."

Sheng Xiyan was feeling sleepy, so she picked up the teacup and put it to her lips, only to smell a sweet aroma coming to her nose. Sheng Xiyan didn't like sweet flowers and fruits in her tea, so she just touched her lips with the teacup lightly and put it down again. Thinking that she would leave soon, she didn't ask anyone to change it.

Sheng Xing'an spoke for a while and then sent everyone away. He hesitated for a moment and sent Liu away as well.

Liu hesitated for a moment, as if she had not expected Sheng Xingan to avoid even her, which made her feel embarrassed in front of the servants.

She stood up reluctantly, as if waiting for Sheng Xingan to ask her to stay, but Sheng Xingan just sipped his tea silently, as if he didn't notice her gaze.

Liu could only walk out, looking back every few steps.

Walking to the corridor, she bit her lip unwillingly. She was obviously the lady of this mansion, but Sheng Xingan avoided her in everything he did. It was obvious that he didn't trust her.

Instead, I discussed it with Sheng Xiyan.

Liu was angry and annoyed, and she wrinkled the handkerchief in her hand.

Nanny Sun patted her back and comforted her: "Don't be angry, Madam. The old man is relying on you because the eldest daughter's wedding date is coming soon and she will be the Princess of Zhenbei soon."

"Yes." Liu sighed sadly, "My master now values ​​her too much. My Ying'er has almost no place to stand in this mansion."

Sheng Xing'an valued Sheng Xiyan, and out of love for Sheng Yan, he also looked up to Sheng Yan. The status of these two siblings in the mansion became more and more stable.

It’s okay for Sheng Xiyan, she will get married sooner or later, but what about Sheng Yan…

Sheng Yan is nothing more than a bastard!

"When the master visited guests during the New Year, he brought Sheng Yan with him."

This means introducing Sheng Yan to close friends and acquaintances, all of whom are family connections.

These connections would usually be passed from the father to the heir, so that the prosperity of the family could continue. But now, Sheng Xingan bypassed Sheng Ying and took Sheng Yan out instead.

"lady."

Nanny Sun could only comfort him softly, "The eldest young master is not even fourteen yet. He is neither good at literature nor martial arts. It is hard to say what his future will be like."

Liu said irritably, "The Zhenbei Palace is a place for military affairs. When the time comes, it will be easy to arrange a job and a future for Sheng Yan for the sake of Sheng Xiyan."

The problem is that the age difference between Sheng Ying and Sheng Yan is too big. When Sheng Ying grows up, Sheng Yan might even have a son. By then, Sheng Yan will be fully grown, so what will happen to her son Ying?

Liu couldn't help but complain, "Sheng Xiyan is so lucky." She was able to marry into the Zhenbei Palace, and Sheng Yan also rose to prominence. "

She said this with a somewhat depressed mood.

She originally married into the family to be the second wife, and she thought that the only legitimate son of the Sheng family was lost. As long as she could give birth to a legitimate son, she would not have to worry about the future. She never expected that a concubine's eldest son would take over later.

Mrs. Liu said bitterly, "I don't know what Mrs. Xu was thinking. She actually tolerated a concubine's eldest son."

It would be fine if he was just the eldest son of a concubine, but Sheng Xiyan still treated him as her own brother!

Madam Sun couldn't bear it and comforted her, "Madam, don't panic..."

Liu rubbed her brows and said, "How can I not panic?"

Sheng Xiyan's dowry is getting bigger and bigger. Her husband has given all the belongings in the mansion to her without any care. Now he is taking Sheng Yan to make connections everywhere. Even when they talk, they have to avoid her.

How can Liu not panic? !

She was also afraid that all the efforts she had made in this mansion over the past few years would end up in vain.

Grandma Sun supported her and walked slowly towards the east room: "The eldest girl is not married yet, everything is possible."

Liu pursed her lips and said nothing, thinking: What else could be possible? It's impossible that the Zhenbei Palace would not marry her.

Nanny Sun said in a gentle voice: "Just like that day, the master originally wanted you to come here as a concubine, but in the end you were lucky, the first wife died, and you became the successor..."

The old man she was talking about was Liu's biological father.

She said meaningfully, "Madam, don't panic."

After all, it's all because the eldest girl's marriage is so good...

As Nanny Sun spoke, she glanced in the direction of the main hall. The door was closed. After the servants left the hall, they did not wait in the corridor, but stood in the yard. Apparently, they thought that the walls had ears.

I don’t know what the old man and the eldest girl were talking about, but they had to ask the lady to avoid them as well.

Unfortunately, Nanny Sun could not see into the hall, and could not see Sheng Xingan saying after taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat: "The emperor has had a stroke."

"My daughter knows." Sheng Xiyan responded calmly, "My daughter was here yesterday too."

Yes! Sheng Xingan also remembered that he had seen her yesterday, but there were so many things going on at that time that he was so panicked that he completely forgot that his daughter was still there.

Thinking about it now, it still feels like a dream.

He had originally thought about finding an opportunity to speak up for his future aunt and fan the flames, but in the end, he didn't even have the chance to say a word and everything was settled.

In the future, my aunt is so capable that he has no place to use his talents!

Sheng Xiyan stroked the jade pendant around her waist and asked nonchalantly, "Father, how is the emperor now?"

She knew that since no one came to arrest her, nothing serious must have happened. However, this was the first time she had done such a thing in two lifetimes, and she was somewhat panicked. She did not sleep well last night and only slept for more than three hours.

Sheng Xingan sighed and shook his head: "Not very good."

Isn't it just not very good?

Since Sheng Xiyan was the only one here, Sheng Xingan spoke frankly, saying, "The imperial physician said that the emperor's illness is very severe and powerful, and it is the most dangerous type of stroke. The emperor's limbs are numb and he is half paralyzed. Now it is difficult for him to even stand up... even stand up. Lin Shoufu and Prince Li went in to see him and said that the emperor is indeed not feeling well. He can't speak clearly and drools. The emperor is so seriously ill that he may never get better."

Sheng Xingan also sighed.

Yesterday he entered the palace first, and then accompanied the emperor out of the palace to Huangjue Temple. When he left the palace, the emperor was fine and energetic, but suddenly he became like this.

Judging from what the imperial physician said, the emperor might have to spend the rest of his life in bed.

"Now the emperor has issued an order to let Governor Xiao govern the country. However, Prince Zhao is not convinced." At this point, Sheng Xingan sneered, "Prince Zhao doesn't know what's going on. He didn't arrive until after half past the hour of the night yesterday. As soon as he heard that the emperor had ordered Governor Xiao to govern the country, he immediately made a fuss and didn't ask about the emperor's condition at all."

Sheng Xiyan raised her eyebrows.

Yesterday, she only saw Zhao Yuanrou and Zhou Jingxun together, and thought Qin Wei must have gone to the palace. Was that not the case?

Sheng Xiyan lowered her eyes and asked, "What happened next?"

Seeing that she was listening to him seriously, Sheng Xingan perked up and said, "Prince Zhao said that Governor Xiao was using the emperor to control the princes. The emperor must have been held captive by Xiao Shuo. He insisted on seeing the emperor."

Yesterday, after it was decided that Xiao Shuo would be the regent, Qin Weicai hurried over. When he heard that Xiao Shuo would be the regent, he was dumbfounded, and then he got angry, saying that Xiao Shuo controlled the government and was plotting something unethical, that the emperor must have been under house arrest by Xiao Shuo, and that Xiao Shuo had bribed even the imperial physician. He insisted on breaking into the back hall and was stopped.

Later, Lin Shoufu, Prince Li and Zheng Zhongming went to see the emperor on behalf of the court officials, royal family members and military generals. After coming out, Prince Li said in person that it was the emperor who ordered Xiao Shuo to supervise the court, and said that if Qin Wei made trouble again, he would be arrested.

After Sheng Xiyan told her what happened, she added, "Prince Zhao looked as if we had all teamed up to deceive him. He went crazy. After Prince Li scolded him, he stormed out."

Sheng Xingan snorted disdainfully. With Prince Zhao's temper, he still thinks he is the youngest son and younger brother who was deeply loved by the empress dowager and the emperor.

After Sheng Xingan finished saying this, he drank half a glass of water to moisten his dry throat.

"Sister Yan, you don't know. Yesterday was really... I've never been so nervous in my long career as an official."

It was simply one thing after another. A small third-rank official like him didn't even have the room to interrupt in that situation. He could only watch them fighting like gods.

Thinking about it now, I still feel a little scared.

Xiao Shuo was not a man of good temper. If Prince Li had not restrained Prince Zhao and Prince Zhao really got angry, he would have been in big trouble.

Even the Queen Mother, Xiao Shuo could just take her away. In this palace, it was not Prince Zhao's turn to make decisions.

Sheng Xingan's mind moved, and he whispered, "Sister Yan, my aunt and Governor Xiao..."

Not only him, I'm afraid everyone else also saw it clearly that Chu Yuanchen was supporting Xiao Shuo, and it was very obvious without any concealment.

In the past, they did not discover the emperor's intentions towards the vassal kings, and perhaps they even thought that the emperor was deeply indebted to the Zhenbei Palace and that they were quite dependent on it. But now, I am afraid everyone knows that the emperor wishes that everyone in the Zhenbei Palace would die, and Chu Yuanchen will not allow his family to be under the threat of imperial power.

Chu Yuanchen is definitely not a blindly loyal person.

Isn't this step by step going to drive the emperor to a stroke?!

It is impossible for Xiao Shuo not to know that the emperor and Chu Yuanchen are not compatible. It is intriguing that Xiao Shuo not only did not avoid suspicion, but had such a close relationship with Chu Yuanchen.

The only thing Sheng Xingan could think of was that the two men had formed an alliance.

It is impossible for Xiao Shuo to ascend the throne by himself, so, Xiao Shuo plans to support Chu Yuanchen?

Sheng Xingan looked at her expectantly and asked carefully, "Sister Yan, what do you think?"

Sheng Xiyan smiled slightly.

Ever since Xiao Shuo openly acknowledged her as his stepsister, she knew that they wanted to make their relationship public.

However, it was not a real relationship. What they wanted the court officials to see was that the two of them were allied in interests.

When the emperor's illness became "more and more serious", even the most stubborn court officials would begin to waver.

At this point, they will consider benefits more when making choices.

Sheng Xiyan lowered her eyes slightly and did not give a direct answer. Instead, she said nonchalantly, "Lord Xiao can't go and support Prince Zhao, can you?"

Sheng Xingan shuddered.

That's so true!

Prince Zhao was a jerk who was useless in daily life and had never been given any important tasks, but he was very arrogant. When he saw that the emperor actually let Xiao Shuo govern the country, he was so angry that he pointed at Xiao Shuo and wanted to let the imperial guards capture him and cut him into pieces.

They were so frightened that those who were watching the excitement... no, it was the ministers who were worried about the emperor's illness, all shrank like quails.

This was not the only time that King Zhao had such a violent temper. During this period of time, he had been constantly provoking Xiao Shuo. Xiao Shuo must have been crazy to support him to the throne.

It would be fine if the emperor had young princes, but he didn't. The previous emperor's sons had all grown up, which was not a good choice for Xiao Shuo.

Sheng Xingan never thought that he would choose Chu Yuanchen.

Sheng Xingan couldn't help but say, "I thought Governor Xiao would pick a child from the royal family..."

While raising a young child, Xiao Shuo was still able to hold power.

Sheng Xiyan observed the expression and said at the right time: "Zhenbei Palace has military power."

Sheng Xingan's heart skipped a beat. Yes!

Chu Yuanchen has the military power in his hands, and for Dayong, which is now in a precarious situation, the military power is the most powerful weapon.

If Xiao Shuo supported his young son to ascend the throne, Chu Yuanchen could lead his troops to rebel under the pretext of purging the emperor's entourage and have a legitimate reason to do so.

Xiao Shuo did hold great power, but the Governor of the Beijing Camp, Zheng Zhongming, had always been at odds with Xiao Shuo. It would not be easy for Xiao Shuo to seize the military power of the Imperial Guards in a short period of time.

The more Sheng Xingan thought about it, the more he felt this way, and he nodded silently.

That’s right, the alliance between Xiao Shuo and Chu Yuanchen is a guarantee for both parties, at least for now.

Chu Yuanchen witnessed the deaths of two vassal kings and had endured the emperor's covetous eyes on the Zhenbei Palace for decades. He almost died because of it. It is natural that he would be disgusted by such things. On the other hand, if he really dared to do so, he would not be able to avoid the gossip of the people of the world.

For Xiao Shuo, Chu Yuanchen should be the best choice at the moment.

As for the future...

Who cares what happens in the future?

Sheng Xingan thought about it and decided not to trouble his brain.

Anyway, for their own family, the alliance between Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo couldn't be better, which meant that Chu Yuanchen had a much greater chance of winning.

He stroked his beard, with an expression of excitement as if he had gained an advantage.

Sheng Xiyan slightly lowered his eyes and said at the right time: "The court is changing so much nowadays, father should not be the first to take action, the Sheng family cannot afford the turmoil."

What she meant was that he should not cause trouble, just play the fool and not seek trouble for no reason.

Sheng Xingan believed this deeply. Right now, the big Buddhas were fighting in the court. For a small person like him, if he stepped out, he would be committing suicide. So he should just stay at the back and wait for good news from his aunt!

He assured, "Don't worry, Sister Yan, my family will definitely not cause you any trouble."

The corners of Sheng Xiyan's mouth curled up. OK, just don't make things more troublesome!

After saying this, Sheng Xing'an saw that the time was almost up, so he hurried back to the yamen.

Today is the 16th day of the first lunar month. According to the custom of the Great Rong Dynasty, the emperor would open his pen and seal the imperial edict today and officially attend court to govern the country. Now the emperor cannot attend court, but the government offices still have to work.

Anyway, this was not the first time that Xiao Shuo was in charge of the country, and things got on the right track with almost no obstacles.

The memorials submitted would receive a response very quickly. If the matter was too urgent or important, Xiao Shuo would summon the cabinet to discuss it and would not act on his own. Within two days, officials including Sheng Xing'an felt that there was nothing wrong with such a life.

Only Qin Wei was very dissatisfied. He had a gloomy face the whole day and it was very difficult for him to endure it.

If he hadn't been worried that Xiao Shuo would attack him on his wedding day, he would have made a scene long ago.

However, even if there was no trouble in public, Qin Wei secretly visited Prince Cheng several times, and was taken to meet Prince Li by Prince Cheng.

Prince Li understood his intention very well and just said, "It is the emperor's will to let Governor Xiao supervise the country."

"Awei, you are not a child anymore, don't be so willful all the time."

"You are the legitimate son of the late emperor, Your Majesty... If anything were to happen, this position would indeed be the most suitable for you."

"But you're not the only choice."

Prince Li said earnestly, "Awei, if you really want to, go and try to get close to Governor Xiao. Don't go against him all the time. It will do you no good."

Prince Li was completely open-hearted to him and explained all the interests at stake to him.

Fearing that someone might be listening, Prince Li did not dare to say it too clearly. However, he had indeed considered it over the past few days.

The imperial physician said that there was little chance that the emperor would recover.

In this case, the court will most likely appoint a regent to manage state affairs.

There is no doubt that in terms of kinship and nobility, Qin Wei is the most suitable candidate for the regent.

But the selection was not his decision. At least Xiao Shuo had to agree. Qin Wei's most urgent task was to maintain a good relationship with Xiao Shuo instead of thinking about getting rid of Xiao Shuo all day. He didn't think about what he could accomplish when he had no military power or job. After all, he was just a prince. Apart from anything else, there were many princes in the capital.

Prince Li thought he had explained the interests to him clearly, but Qin Wei looked at him with disappointment, then turned and left without hesitation.

Prince Li: “…”

Prince Li was so angry that he didn't want to talk to him anymore. Prince Zheng could only smile and say a lot of nice things, saying, "Awei is still young. When he gets married and grows up, everything will be fine."

Get married? Prince Li sneered. Marry that eloped girl?

With such a confused mind, it's no wonder he treats a woman who eloped as a treasure!

The news of Zhao Yuanrou's elopement had long been spread in the court. Due to the royal family, they did not dare to discuss it, but everyone knew the truth.

Zhao Yuanrou was originally famous in the capital and had countless close friends, but when she was about to get married, there were not even a few people who came to do her makeup.

After Sheng Xiyun left, she came back with a depressed look on her face, muttering that it was too lonely.

However, these had nothing to do with Sheng Xiyan. She had forgotten about it long ago. At this moment, she was only thinking about the upcoming funeral of her mother Xu.

My younger brother went missing while watching lanterns during the Lantern Festival. My mother jumped into the lake and died half a month later out of guilt...

Back then, her grandfather tried his best to bring her back, but in the end it was too late.

Sheng Xiyan placed the copied Heart Sutra in front of the tablet, and then knelt on the cushion.

The lady of the Sheng family was a Buddhist, so she opened a small Buddhist temple in the mansion, where Xu's tablet was also enshrined.

The incense sticks in the small Buddhist hall were surrounded by white smoke, creating a peaceful and quiet atmosphere.

After kneeling for a while, Sheng Xiyan stood up and said to Xigui casually, "Have we changed the incense burner used in our house? Why does it smell different?"

"I don't know." Xigui didn't smell much difference, but his daughter had sharp senses, so if she said it was different, it must be different!

Xigui said, "I will ask the shopping nanny later."

Sheng Xiyan just said it casually and didn't care. He rubbed his aching brow.

Why does my head suddenly hurt?

When she stepped out of the small Buddhist temple, she stumbled and almost fell on the threshold.